The GAC GS3 comes to Malaysia, offering some much needed competition to the Proton X50.
The B-segment SUV space has exploded over the last few years. Cars like the Subaru XV, Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross and Renault Captur went from being completely unheard of to becoming some of the strongest selling models for brands. Now a new contender joins the fray and the pricing is unbelievably good.
It’s the GAC GS3.
What is GAC?
In case you’re not caught up, Warisan TC Holdings, recently took up the Jiangling Motors franchise in Malaysia and now are taking on another Chinese brand – GAC to sell alongside Nissan showrooms in Malaysia. Two months ago, the company launched the JMC Vigus Pro pick-up truck from Jiangling Motors and now they’re launching the GS3 compact crossover from GAC. GAC will be introduced under WTC Automotif (M) Sdn Bhd.
GAC is a 66-year-old Chinese automotive company with its own sub-brands and joint-ventures with a number of Japanese automotive brands like Honda, Toyota and Mitsubishi.
What is the GS3?
The GS3 is sold under GAC’s Trumpchi sub-brand in China. Malaysia will be the 25th export market for GAC and it will be the first country to receive a right-hand drive variant of the vehicle. WTC Automotif says they are working on local assembly not just of the GS3, but of GAC’s other products.
The GS3 is a B-segement crossover with modern styling, lots of equipment and a rather attractive price.
It measures 4,358mm in length, 1,825mm in width, 1,660mm in height and has a 2,560mm wheelbase. It’s ever so slightly larger than the X50, but with slightly smaller wheelbase. The boot space is 356 litres, but can be expanded to 780 litres with the split-folding rear seats pushed down.
In terms of suspension, the GS3 gets MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear – rather common in this segment. Electric power steering and four disc brakes are standard. Powering this GAC GS3 is a 4-cylinder naturally aspirated 1.5L petrol engine. It sends 113 horsepower and 150Nm of torque to the front wheels via an Aisin-built 6-speed conventional automatic gearbox. This set up is good for 14.5km/l on the NEDC standard.
There are two variants being sold in Malaysia: the GAC GS3 Standard and Premium.
GAC GS3 Equipment in Malaysia
Here’s what equipment comes on the Standard model, which is priced at RM88,800
- 17″ alloy wheels
- halogen headlamps
- LED taillights
- power adjustable side mirrors
- fabric and leatherette upholstery
- PM2.5 air filter
- 8″ touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and phone mirroring support
- 3-spoke leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- 4 airbags
- ABS
- EBD
- ESC
- brake assist
- hill start assist
- blind spot monitoring
- rearview camera
- seatbelt warning for all passengers
- available in:
- Lunar Grey
- Ivory White
- Starlight Silver
The Premium model, priced at RM96,800 adds the following:
- front foglights
- power-folding side mirrors
- sharkfin antenna
- dual tone paint finish
- 3.5″ multi-info display
- keyless entry and start
- leatherette upholstery
- headrest for middle passenger in rear and armrests in the rear
- 6 airbags instead of 4
- Available in:
- Lunar Grey
- Ivory White with black roof
- Rosefinch Red with black roof
Pricing for this initial batch comes with the 50% SST discount as it’s fully-imported from China for now. The warranty for this vehicle is 5 years/150,000km with 5 free labour services within the first 3 years/100,000km.
Test drives are available at the GAC showroom at Lot 72, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 51200 KL. Head to their official website or facebook page for more information.
